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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30060594">Star Fox: The Final Frontier</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/GaryOwen1965/pseuds/GaryOwen1965'>GaryOwen1965</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Fox Series</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Alternate Universe - Harem, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Gunplay, HMOFA - Freeform, Harems, Multi, Romance, Science Fiction, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Smut, Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-05-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 17:15:49</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>11,085</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30060594</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/GaryOwen1965/pseuds/GaryOwen1965</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Venom is defeated and has scattered, but plan for a devastating comeback; Corneria and the other inhabited planets rebuild after ten years of war; Star Fox gains two very controversial members, and a mysterious ship appears at the edge of the Lylat System with both a startling and deadly cargo, the former of which may change the lives of those it meets. Including one big, bad wolf.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Original Male Human Character(s)/Multiple Female Star Fox Characters</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Prologue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>In the far reaches of deep space, far beyond humanity's tainted reach, lied a small cluster of black and red oblong objects, stationary and patient; waiting for an unsuspecting ship to cross their path or line of sight. 'Good things come to those who wait' was certainly true of this flotilla of pirate ships, their crew hungry for whatever loot they could find on the ships they jumped. But they weren't just any old, swashbuckling pirate from the old days of Earth.</p><p>They were <em>Venom</em>. A ruthless, tyrannical faction under an exiled, mentally-insane scientist named Andross, seeking to overthrow the current governing body of the Lylat System and replace it with their own iron-fisted rule.</p><p>General Sarzod, the self-appointed leader of what remained of Venom's forces, commanded his flagship, the <em>Bloodied Fist of Vengeance</em>, which was the largest ship in the Venomian fleet before Andross and Andrew's untimely demise. It was also the only 'true Venomian' ship, originating from the acidic planet. The other ships, four in total alongside the <em>Vengeance,</em> were either converted luxury ships or old CDF ships almost literally stitched back together with parts from other stricken vessels. Despite this, however, Sarzod and his small fleet were still a force to be reckoned with.</p><p>Then, a massive, but unknown, vessel suddenly appeared out of nowhere and drifted towards the flotilla of five Venomian ships. Sarzod prepared his crew to attack, but he noticed something…<em>off</em> about the alien ship. The engines were off, according to his diagnostics officer when they ran a scan on the craft, and there were no signs of life forms. This unnerved the monitor lizard, something that was very rare, considering he was viewed as having as much emotion as a statue did. His demeanor was almost stone-like. When the wave of unsettlement swept over him, those on the bridge who looked at him for further orders, noticed the uneasy feeling he was experiencing, and that made them unsettled as well.</p><p>Sooner or later, the alien ship had drifted close enough to the flotilla to properly survey it with the naked eye. It looked like a tuning fork, with the two prongs at the front and sporting large, heavy, bulkhead-type doors that Sarzod silently guessed was a hangar bay of some sort. In the middle of the ship, was a blocky structure with a radar dish on top of it, and was littered with clear, plexiglass windows. <em>The bridge, no doubt,</em> Sarzod once again thought to himself. As the ship continued to drift close and closer, eventually passing over the small fleet as it rolled on its axis ever so slowly, Sarzod contemplated on what to do about this discovery. He didn't have to think on it any longer as two CDF Dreadnoughts and the <em>Great Fox </em>showed up. He cursed and fled, jumping back to Venom. He knew how to pick his fights, and with those two Dreadnoughts, along with the <em>Great Fox</em>, showing up in this part of the system, he made the decision to retreat. He would rather <em>not</em> risk the remainder of Venom's forces, and he fled much to the chagrin of his commanders and the soldiers.</p><p>Soon, when he can someway, somehow, convince those who left Andross's army to return and resume the conquest of the Lylat, Sarzod would sweep across the system, from planet to planet, until he reached Corneria. Then, he would watch it burn, with Star Fox and General Pepper groveling at his feet, begging for mercy. But he wouldn't grant that to them. No, he would give them a fate much worse than death. He chuckled, no, <em>cackled </em>at the thought. "Soon," he said, loud enough for the entire bridge to hear. "All of the Lylat will come to know and fear the name of General Sarzod, and we'll rule with an iron fist. The citizens of Corneria and the Lylat will bow down to the will of Venom!" Cheers and roars of approval echoed all across the <em>Vengeance</em> as it slowly cruised back towards home, where several large, elongated structures lay unfinished and under construction in Venom's orbit; relics from Andross's blueprints and plans just before his death.</p><p>The fate of the Lylat now hangs in the balance. And unbeknownst to everyone, it lied in the hands of two individuals, whose bond and relationship will shake the Lylat to its core.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Arrival</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Star Fox scours the edge of the Lylat System for possible Venom presence, but they come across an even more startling, and potentially deadly, discovery.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"This is stupid." She ignored the complaint from her companion and teammate, and continued staring at the screen in front of her.</p>
<p>Fox McCloud, leader of a ragtag group of mercenaries known as Star Fox, studied the report sent to her by General Pepper. It detailed the possibility of the fractured remnants of a Venomian fleet still operating in the Outer Rim of the Lylat System; Sector X and, of course, Venom to be exact. At first, Fox, and her team especially, were very skeptical about the provided information. But if history has anything to show, very rarely has Pepper ever been wrong. This only slightly reassured fox, but her team still remained skeptical and doubtful. And, they weren't the only ones.</p>
<p>By some strange and rather 'unfortunate' circumstances, the so-called 'Lady O'Donnell' found herself aboard the <em>Great Fox</em> as a 'temporary member' of Star Fox, and Panther Caroso as well. Despite the animosity and hostility present in the new Star Fox, Wolf and Panther proved themselves to be invaluable to all of the assignments Star Fox have done since the two ex-Star Wolf members joined up. Understandably, Falco, Slippy, Krystal, and Katt, still kept their guard up and a watchful eye on the two.</p>
<p>There's nothing out here." Falco sidled up next to Fox, her magenta eyes fixed on the same screen the vixen was studying. Then she turned to her. "I mean, props to the 'Old Man' and all for the other times he gave us 'good info', but there's nothing, and I mean <em>nothing</em>, out in this part of the Lylat System. Except for the X, Y, and Z Sectors, and Venom. And we don't go <em>anywhere</em> near there."</p>
<p>A scoff came from behind the two and they turned and faced the one who made the sound. "Like how you 'never' went to Venom's space station to defeat Andross and his 'robo-brain'? Like how you escaped with the supposed help of the late James McCloud?" The lupine rolled her one eye continued on, a thick accent carrying through her words. "Please. If nothing bad had happened there to any o' you <em>then</em>, there certainly won't be anything happening to us <em>now</em> if we go to Sector X or Venom."</p>
<p>Falco glared at her while Wolf sneered back at the blue avian. "<em>Watch it</em>, O'Donnell," Falco said, taking a threatening step forward, her feathered hands balled into fists. "Fox is in charge here, and she can easily kick your ass and Panther's into the airlock before you can say 'Can't let you do that, Star Fox'."</p>
<p>Wolf turned her sneer into a grin and she chuckled. Then she slightly bent her knees to level herself with Falco's eyes. "Don't worry, <em>bird brain</em>. I'll hold ma tongue fo' now. I was just tryin' to prove a point." She straightened up and diverted her attention to Fox and said, "As fo' you, oh fearless leader, it <em>is</em> <em>your call</em>. Either continue on to the next set o' coordinates and resume the search, or we call it off here and break the 'bad news' to the 'Old Man'." She paused and shrugged with a small smile. "Or good news in this case."</p>
<p>Fox stared at the floor in silent thought for a moment before saying, "R.O.B, contact the <em>Acolyte</em> and the <em>Shadow of Solarus</em>. Tell them we're moving to the next sector and continuing the sweep." She looked at Falco and said, "Get the others prepared for a jump. We leave in two minutes." Then she turned to Wolf, but the lupine had her back to the vulpine and was walking out of the bridge.</p>
<p>Wolf felt Fox's eyes on her and she waved to her with a gloved hand. "I'm headin' off to catch a few winks, pup. Wake me when we get there, or if something <em>really</em> interesting happens. Cheers." With that, the doors closed and she <em>presumably</em> went to her quarters.</p>
<p>Fox sighed and shook her head, turning back to the screen she was studying earlier. "What am I going to do with her?"</p>
<p>"You can't do anything," came another voice from behind. This time, only Falco acknowledged their presence visually. Panther Caroso, Wolf's partner-in-crime, sidled up to Fox's left side and leaned against the console. Panther's icy blue eyes stared coolly at Fox and ignored Falco. "Trust me. I've worked with her for the past ten years, and there's no 'doing anything' with or to her. She can't and won't be contained."</p>
<p>"So why did she, and <em>you</em>, join Star Fox?" Falco accused, hands on her hips.</p>
<p>Panther shrugged. "Heck if I know. I guess she needed an additional paycheck or two."</p>
<p>"One minute to jump, Fox," R.O.B chimed in with his monotonous, robotic tone.</p>
<p>The black pantherine's eyes briefly flicked over to the robot before falling back on Fox and Falco. "Guess I better strap in, huh?" Without another word, and with a two-finger salute, she moved to the back of the bridge and sat down in a single chair, then buckled herself in and prepared for the FTL jump. Falco did likewise after giving Fox a silent nod, to which the vixen responded with a nod of her own.</p>
<p>With everyone on the bridge, and hopefully the rest of the ship, secured and ready, including herself, fox gave the all-clear to R.O.B, who began the countdown:</p>
<p>"10…9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2…Engaging jump drive."</p>
<p>The ship shuddered violently and the hull groaned almost deafeningly. Fox's vision became distorted as her surroundings twisted and warped from space and time folding and bending around her. Then, as soon as it started, it was over, and Fox was met with a troubling sight:</p>
<p>Five Venomian ships, one of them being the largest she'd ever seen since the Lylat Wars, were parked just on the edge of the Sector X nebulae. Another ship, easily eclipsing <em>all</em> of the ships present, drifted lazily overhead and past the Venomian flotilla. Said flotilla must have spotted the <em>Great Fox</em> and the two CDF Dreadnoughts, as not even fifteen seconds had passed before they jumped and disappeared from sight.</p>
<p>Falco and Panther unfastened themselves from their seats and joined Fox and they all shared the same shocked expression together. "What the hell is that?" Falco exclaimed loudly, and almost purposefully, next to Panther's ear, much to the feline's chagrin.</p>
<p>Fox shook her head and was about to say, "I don't know," when R.O.B beat her to it. "It appears a ship of unknown and alien origin, Miss Lombardi. It does not match anything in our database that I have collected over the years with each of the factions we've fought: Venomian, Aparoid, and Anglar. Also, the materials it is composed of are either very, very rare or nonexistent in the Lylat System."</p>
<p>Panther cursed. "Seriously? <em>Another </em>alien ship? We <em>just</em> got done with the Anglars seven months ago, and now this?!"</p>
<p>R.O.B spoke up again, ignoring Panther's ranting. "Initial scans show the alien vessel is currently incapacitated."</p>
<p>Recovering from her shock, Fox asked curiously, "How so?"</p>
<p>"Engines are offline," he explained briefly. Then added, "Main power plant is in critical condition. Energy readings show high levels of radiation are slowly building. Three hours before it reaches critical mass and self-destructs."</p>
<p>Fox sighed and shook her head. "Anyone or anything aboard?"</p>
<p>"…Scanning…" R.O.B remained silent for a solid thirty seconds before finally replying, "Scans show that there is only one life signature."</p>
<p>"Only one?" Falco inquired in disbelief. "On a ship that big? Are you sure, Bobby?"</p>
<p>"Yes, Miss Lombardi." Before the blue avian could let out a squawk of protest, he continued on. "Out of the…<em>approximately</em> 5, 739 crew members, passengers, or military personnel, only one is currently alive. But vitals indicate they have an elevated pulse and dangerously-high stress levels. It is only a matter of time before they expire under such conditions. Three hours or less in this case."</p>
<p>"R.O.B, bring everyone up here <em>now.</em> Alert the <em>Acolyte</em> and <em>Solarus</em> and have them prepare a boarding party. A <em>big one</em>; we're going to need all the help we can get." Fox turned to Falco and Panther. "When the others get up here, I'm going to contact captains Casey and Damara and General Pepper to coordinate the upcoming operation."</p>
<p>"What kind of operation?" Panther asked with a slight tilt of her head and a hint of concern and worry in her words. Fox placed her hands on her hips and turned back towards the gargantuan ship outside.</p>
<p>"A rescue operation."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Contact! Lots of Contact</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>With the green light from General Pepper, Star Fox and a small company of loyal CDF soldiers under the command of Lieutenant Phoenix begin their search and rescue mission. However, they are unaware of the danger that lies ahead.</p><p>A young human man runs and hides for his life, before running into a particular lupine and pantherine.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He must be living a nightmare. It was only that and nothing else. And yet, here he was, hiding within the barricaded confines of the cafeteria from the screaming, disfigured husks of his former crewmates. How could security have missed that one person? That one carrier? He let out an irritated growl and smacked himself in the forehead several times with the palm of his hand. How could they have been so stupid? With a sigh, James B. Hayes – the last living human aboard the USMS <em>Einstein</em>, tucked himself away in a corner of the meat freezer, which was thankfully mostly empty, and that he was wearing a respirator. Otherwise, he'd be suffocating in the stench of rotting and spoiling meat. Of course, how is that different from hiding in the vents <em>out there, </em>where the air itself is <em>poisoned</em>? He shuddered and hugged his knees to his chest, an AS-95 sidearm at his side on the thawing, damp floor.</p><p>It all started back on Earth. It was in total chaos. World leaders were squabbling amongst themselves and fighting whatever precious resource humanity had left on their homeworld. Mars and the Moon had been colonized in 2128, but those were more of a luxury trip that most people could not afford. Sickness and illnesses ran rampant through the streets of cities and towns alike. Citizens dropping like flies left and right, riots and recurring violent protests; all were ignored by the government as they found their own interests more important than their citizens'. Finally, on April 17, 2131, all hell broke loose. A pathogen, known only as 'PX – 092', swept through the already-stricken streets, alleys, and sewers and infected everyone and everything at an alarming rate; enough to get the attention of the world leaders, but too fast for them to do anything about it. Corpses rotted and flies and rats feasting on the corpses transmitted the pathogen from on healthy person to another. Crossing from state to state, nation to nation, through or over closed borders and infecting anything that breathed air. Wildlife, humans, flora; nothing was spared.</p><p>The air method of transmission could be stopped when an individual wore a respirator; a gas mask of some sort. But the filters only lasted about ten minutes, due to the large amount of contaminated particles in the air. Soon, that failed, and more bodies piled up. But then, something happened. <em>Changed</em> was a more accurate term. But that didn't mean it was a good thing. Instead of dying from fluids filling the lungs and other vital organs, the victim would suffer from internal bleeding, a brain hemorrhage, and rapid necrosis. The result was a horribly disfigured person, poisoned blood pouring from its mouth, eyes, and nose, with the skin mottled and barely clinging to the bones. Some used the term 'zombies'. Others, said 'Crazies'. Either way, the infected in this state were extremely dangerous and the mutated pathogen spread quicklier, and had to be dealt with appropriately. Too bad nearly three-quarters of the entire Earth population had been wiped out.</p><p>The only viable option that anyone could see, if they were still alive, was out in the stars. With rushed security checkpoints, and panicked crowds pushing through and over each other in an effort to get to safety. James was one of those fortunate enough to get onto a ship first, before the crowds came, and with them the infected hot on their heels. Military personnel such as James's father directed the hopefully healthy crowd onto the seven colony ships that would blast off into the cold, dark 'safety' of space. Only three ships made it out untainted, with the other four atomizing themselves in order to prevent the infected reaching the other two 'colonies'. The <em>Einstein</em> and <em>Mecca</em> bore the brunt of the survivors, while the <em>Tokyo</em> was almost barren save for some dozen thousand or so military personnel. Including James's father. His family was on the <em>Mecca</em>, but they didn't know where James was. They panicked and searched everywhere for him. All the while, he was running, hiding, and occasionally fighting, for his life.</p><p>A single person, asymptomatic until the very last minute, managed their way onboard the <em>Einstein</em>. Once they had been herded into a crowded barracks room, they underwent a violent transformation. Coughing and vomiting blood and other contents, the carrier pounced on the nearest victim and the infection spread from there. Like wildfire, it jumped from person to person, via bites, scratches, or contaminated fluids such as blood and saliva. The captain notified the <em>Mecca</em> and <em>Tokyo</em> of the situation before making the decision to make a blind jump to somewhere out of humanity's reach. Anywhere away from the colonies and the rest of the human fleet. Before, during, and after the jump, citizens, crew, and soldiers alike either fell victim to the infection, or were just simply torn to shreds and their mutilated corpses left to rot, until James was the last one standing. The infected searched everywhere, looking for that one 'untainted' victim that needed to be cleansed.</p><p>
  <em>Bang!</em>
</p><p>James jumped and was snapped from his thoughts as a disturbance occurred right outside the blocked cafeteria doors. Screams, shrieks, and even hooting chitters*, were just on the other side of the makeshift barricade. They had found their next and final victim, and they were hungry for fresh meat. James quickly checked his gun; five rounds left. He cursed as he rose to his feet and started looking for an alternative to direct confrontation that would surely lead to his demise. He spotted a vent behind a meat shelf that was missing just that. He didn't mind, though. Made moving the piece of furniture out of the way even easier. And he did, although it wasn't until after that that he realized he couldn't reach the vent. Another curse. He moved the shelf back again, climbed it, opened the grate, crawled in, and slid the grate closed behind him with his foot.</p><p>Through the cramped space he crawled and shimmied, as quietly he could. He hated small spaces, such as this one, but did not have a fear of them. He was small enough to have plenty of room to maneuver around, being at 5' 8", and easily make his way through the veins of the <em>Einstein</em>. With the AS-95 in his right hand, and a respirator securely fastened over his face, James made his way to the medical bay, where he figured there would be plenty of filter cartridges ripe for the taking. Then he would head over to the armory via the vents again, and rearm himself with some more <em>effective</em> weaponry. While the AS-95 could hold its own, being chambered in .50 AE and having an experimental miniature mass accelerator built into the length of the barrel, it wasn't quite effective against hordes of half-dead infected. A capacity of 8 rounds with ammo belts and such today being only able to hold around four clips. The XM-91 Assault Rifle was the go to choice for most soldiers and militia alike. Including James. It fired a 5.56x31mm round at almost breakneck speed, allowing for quick kills from range and eliminating the risk of CQB engagements that almost decimated Earth's military against the Separatists during the Colonial Wars from 2129-2130.</p><p>And despite the infected being <em>almost</em> nothing more than husks, each of these weapons were very, <em>very</em> effective against them. As long as there was manageable number of them. This was not the case, however. Nearly five-thousand crew were infected and roaming the bloodied halls and corridors of the colony ship, with James supposedly being the only survivor.</p><p>After crawling for almost five minutes, and with his air running low, James finally came upon the grating that led to the medical bay. The room below was dimly lit, which could mean anything. From being empty, to having infected hiding in the shadows. But James needed those cartridges, and fast. With a bit of reluctance, he kicked open the grate and dropped down to the floor almost inaudibly. He quickly glanced around, pistol at the ready. Nothing. <em>Perfect,</em> he thought to himself. Rising to his feet from the crouched position, James walked over to the emergency cabinet and opened it up. He found seven filters, each one lasting almost ten minutes. He grinned to himself and stuffed all but one of the cartridges into his hip pocket. He replaced the spent filter in his mask and immediately he could breathe just a little bit easier. With his air replenished, he scoured the rest of the medical bay for any more invaluable items.</p><p>He found some additional magazine clips for the AS-95, but he became very wary of this find. He searched for any signs of a struggle. He didn't have to look far. There were was a single corpse, slumped against the wall and a massive blood splatter behind it and a handgun loose in a lifeless grip in its right hand. If James was the squeamish type, he would've lost his lunch. But he wasn't, and he didn't. He only shook his head and paid his respects to the deceased before scavenging more clips from its person. Adding the ammo to his stock in the pockets on his thighs and hips, James resumed his search. Nothing was left after finding the body, so he decided it was time to go</p><p>Satisfied with his find, James climbed back up into the vents and continued on towards the armory, when he had a sudden thought of realization. Pulling out his communication device from his back pocket, he turned it on and a holographic image of the <em>Einstein's </em>inner workings was displayed in front of him. "Crap," he muttered under his breath, eyeing one particular room that was directly above him. By two decks. He let out a curse and shut off the device and put it back in his pocket. "Great, just great." The twenty-year-old sat there in the cramped space thinking and pondering on what do next, and how to do it with the infected running all over the place. He could just stay in the vents and make his way to the elevator shafts, ride a cabin up to the designated floor, and then climb into the maintenance access vents from there. Theoretically, it could work. But he didn't, couldn't risk his life on theories, especially in a life-or-death situation like this. As he weighed his options, he was unaware of a lone infected tracking his scent from the hallway below.</p><p>It stopped in its tracks and looked up, following its mutated sense of smell to the vents above. It let out a low snarl, shuddered violently, bent its legs to jump, and launched itself at the vents directly where James was, screaming wild, bloody murder as it leapt towards its prey.</p><hr/><p>Fox kept quiet for the entirety of the trip to the alien ghost ship. General Pepper and the two captains were briefed on the situation, including the spotting of five Venomian ships in Sector X. General Pepper, however, wasn't too concerned about <em>that</em> anymore. He was more interested in the <em>other</em> ship Star Fox had discovered. She sent images of the colossal ship to Pepper, who had studied them closely in his office before contacting her and the two captains. Captain Casey, a male cheetah of about 50 or so and ready for retirement, and Captain Damara, a female red squirrel with a rather curvaceous and very busty figure, protested to the idea of launching a 'rescue operation' on a ship of unknown origin for just one individual. They had <em>concerns</em>, was a more accurate term. And while General Pepper acknowledged them, he stated that "We [the CDF and citizens thereof] cannot pass up an opportunity to meet a hopefully non-hostile alien race for a change." They reluctantly went on with the operation and selected 50 of their best troops, 25 from each ship, and Casey handpicked Fara Phoenix as the commanding officer of those troops. Star Fox was to provide additional reinforcements and firepower and were promptly sent out along with Lieutenant Fara's soldiers.</p><p>And so, it was then that Fox found herself on a dropship with fifteen other CDF soldiers, both benders, all different species, all different ages, and nearly all with an itch to get into a real fight. She couldn't blame them. Most of these soldiers were fresh from the academy and from boot shortly after the Anglar Blitz, and had never seen a lick of combat. But, at the same time, she worried for them all. Who knows what lies ahead of them on the ship?</p><p>She sighed and watched the hulk of metal loom ominously as the dropship approached it from the side towards what was presumed to be a hangar of some kind. She shouldn't think about that right now. Just worry about getting onto the ship first.</p><p>And so, they finally did. Three dropships, with a capacity of twenty each, touched down inside the alien ship and deposited its cargo of armed troops, Star Fox among them. The group of fifty broke into groups, each tasked with searching one of the four decks on the ship. Wolf and Panther declared they'd be going alone together and separated from the main group. Fox didn't even bother to protest or change their minds. With everyone given their 'assignments', they split and began their search.</p><hr/><p>Wolf let out a huff and tucked a stray strand of her mane back and behind her left ear before adjusting her mask. "This is a load of shite, Panther. There's almost literally nothing here except for some toxic air." She turned to the black-furred feline and gave a quick jerk of her head in the direction they came from. "I say we go back and wait fo' the others."</p><p>Panther quickly shook her head. "No, I don't think that's a good idea, considering we agreed to work for McCloud and we do anything she and/or General Pepper says. So," she shrugged. "Yeah. Plus," she did a quick glance at the hallway around them. "this place is creepy. The last thing we need to do is go back the way we came. Who knows what's lurking here?"</p><p>Wolf snorted and rolled her eye at her. "Please. If there's only <em>one</em> life form on this ship, what are the chances that the rest of the crew are a bunch of robots or something?"</p><p>Panther shook her head again. "You forget that I was there when R.O.B. gave the scan results. 5,739 people, Wolf. <em>Five-thousand</em>. And out of that <em>one</em> survivor. Something bad happened here, Wolf. And we need to figure out why. And find that one survivor."</p><p>Wolf chuckled and kept walking. "Whatever you say, lass. I'm not buying it. Not one. Single. Bit of this 'ghost ship' shite—"</p><p>She was cut off by an unearthly shriek, followed by a metallic bang, like something struck metal. Wolf turned white and the butterflies in her stomach began to stir. "Okay, I take that back."</p><p>Another shriek, and the two females drew their pistols and aimed in the direction of the sound. They heard footsteps, heavy and thudding against the floor rapidly, as if someone was running. Panther and Wolf exchanged glances with one another and waited for whoever the footsteps belonged to to show themselves. It wasn't long before a figure clad in jeans and long-sleeved shirt with pads on the knees and elbows turn a corner – skid around it was more like it – and run towards them. When they showed their face, it, and Wolf and Panther, froze. "What the hell is that?" Wolf said, looking to Panther, who shrugged. The…<em>alien</em>, looked just as dumbfounded as they were. It started to take a step back, when another pair of footsteps came from behind it and it whirled around, a weapon in its hands and at the ready. Then it looked over its shoulder and shouted at the two females, its voice muffled.</p><p>"Run! Get the hell out of here!" Wolf and Panther were stunned. But they obeyed nonetheless and turned tail and ran back the way they came, with the alien and whatever was chasing it behind them. The alien caught up with them in almost no time, stopping only when they came to a T-intersection and aiming at down the hallway. Wolf and Panther took this brief respite took recover their breath from the sudden scare and to get a closer look at the alien.</p><p>It wore a mask, a gas mask, to be precise, and had no fur anywhere on its body except for the top of the head, where it was a messy mop of blonde hair. As the two females observed more closely, they discovered that <em>it</em>, was actually a <em>he</em>. <em>He</em> wasn't athletic in any way, shape, or form, but he wasn't fat or thin either. He had some muscle here and there in the arms, and maybe in the chest, but nothing more from what they could see due to his clothing and the mask he wore. Wolf and Panther looked at each other with bewildered expressions, until the latter gave the former a sly look and wriggled her eyebrows suggestively.</p><p>"Oh feck off, Panther," Wolf said with a mixture of disgust and annoyance. "We just met him and already you want to get in his pants? The feck's the matter with you?"</p><p>The alien glanced at the two quizzically, before his, and their, attention was drawn to the second pair of approaching footsteps. The duo-turned-trio aimed their weapons down the hallway, waiting patiently. Then, the creature appeared. The alien wasted no time in firing his weapon, much to the <em>very loud</em> surprise of Wolf and Panther. A loud <em>bang</em> was heard and their ears started ringing from the near-deafening sound. An instant later the creature, face bloodied and body falling apart, had its head explode in a pink, gory mist of flesh and brain matter. The headless corpse fell backwards and lay still. Wolf and Panther were aghast and shocked at the spectacle that took place in front of them.</p><p>"What the bloody hell was that <em>thing</em>?!" Wolf exclaimed almost frantically, looking to the alien. "And how the hell do you know our language?!</p><p>The alien looked at her curiously. "Don't know, even though some would come them zombies. And I could ask you the same thing. English is the main language of humanity."</p><p>"'English'?" Wolf repeated, her face screwed up into obvious confusion. "Sounds like a bloody rash or something. Over here it's 'Cornerian Common'. Nearly all of the Lylat System speaks it."</p><p>"Could y'all wait until <em>after</em> we get out of here to exchange numbers or something?" Panther interjected in a slight panicky tone.</p><p>Wolf whirled on her and barked. Literally and figuratively. "Oh you're one to talk! You bloody gave him the 'do me' eyes!"</p><p>A chorus of shrieks and roars snapped the two females from their argument before it could go any further. "Come on!" the alien said, waving his weapon at them. "We've got to get out of the halls. They're too much of a death trap against those things."</p><p>Wolf nodded, following after him with Panther next to her. "There's a couple ships out in one of the hangars. We can escape from there. Speaking of which..." She brought her left wrist to her front and spoke into it. "Pup. I've got the survivor. We're getting the hell out of here. There's a whole bunch of..." she hesitated on the word. "<em>Zombies</em> running around the ship."</p><p><em>"So you've found that out too, huh?"</em> came Fox's crackled voice, along with a hail of muffled blaster fire. <em>"We're on our way back to the hangar. We've sent a few scouts ahead of us to secure it. They're there right now. Hurry."</em></p><p>"Will do, pup. O'Donnell out." She looked to the alien with a curious glint in her one eye and said "What's your name lad? Might as well introduce ourselves if you're going to be sticking with us."</p><p>He looked back at her with silvery-blue eyes through the eye-holes in his mask. "Hayes, James Hayes. Nice to meet you, Miss..."</p><p>"O'Donnell," Wolf finished for him. "Wolf O'Donnell. And this is Panther Caroso. And none of that 'Miss' business, 'kay? I'm not one for bloody formalities."</p><p>"You never were," Panther muttered underneath her breath with a teasing grin. Wolf glared at her.</p><p>"Shut up."</p><p>"Nice to meet you both," 'James' said, looking forward before hanging a right and then a left, with Wolf and Panther on his heels. "We're almost there. Just a little more to go."</p><p>His comment was met with the sounds of a gunfight further ahead, along with the shrieks of the infected crew and citizens. "Come on!" Wolf shouted. "We need to get there before we're cut off!"</p><p>The trio broke into a mad dash towards the hangar and sounds of combat. When they arrived, a CDF soldier was jumped by one of the zombies and bit in the neck between his helmet and uniform collar. He cried out in agony and attempted in vain to get the creature off of him. Then it wrenched its head back, tearing a chunk of the soldier's neck out with its mouth. The soldier gargled as blood filled his throat and he bled profusely from the wound. Wolf quickly dispatched the zombie with a single shot to the head, creating a smoking crater in its skull. But she was too late. The soldier fell to the ground, letting out his death rattle as the metal floor pooled with his crimson blood. Wolf cursed, but pressed on, with James and Panther trailing not far behind her. As they entered the hangar, they found it was empty save for the three dropships, two of which had lifted their ramps and were already taking off. Fox and Fara were at the last one, waving to them frantically. "Hurry!" they heard Fox say.</p><p>Being slightly taller and having more leg power than James, Wolf and Panther made it to the dropship while leaving the human behind in their dust. He arrived five seconds later, panting heavily as he fought to catch his breath through his mask. The shuttle jumped and shuddered as it lifted off and shot out into space, away from the danger on the overrun ship.</p><p>"Okay!" the pilot said over the comms a few moments later. "The air's clean!"</p><p>Everyone – excluding James as he was not tuned in on their radio frequency, and the pilot because it was required of them to wear at all times when behind the controls – took off their helmets with an audible hiss of depressurizing air as the headgear came off. Most, if not all, of them let out sighs relief, glad to get a breath of fresh air and that their ordeal was done and over with.</p><p>Fox, Fara, Wolf, and Panther then looked to the strange being whom the latter two had found and 'rescued'. Tall, slender, and with a little bit of muscle on the arms and chest. Fox and Fara were the most intrigued out of the four, and anybody else who bothered to pay any mind to him.</p><p>"So," Fox spoke up, looking over at Wolf and Panther for an answer to her upcoming question. "Who, and <em>what</em>, is this?"</p><p>The lupine and pantherine exchanged glances, then the former, with a gesture of her gloved hand waving towards him, said, "Why don't you ask him yourself? He can speak our language pretty fluently and with little to no problem."</p><p>Fox and Fara blinked at her in disbelief, then both of them turned to the masked figure almost expectantly. He appeared to sigh in resignation and reached a hand up to his face mask and pulled up on it. It came off with a few struggling tugs, and resulted in his blonde hair becoming unruly and unkempt; not that it wasn't to begin with. But that wasn't what caught the two vulpines, and everyone else on the shuttle, by surprise and off guard; it was his face that was underneath that mask:</p><p>Bare, fleshy, and furless, his face was a slight oval shape, but his jaw was also slightly squared, giving him a masculine appearance and confirming that this 'alien' was indeed a male. Around his mouth and lining his jaw all the way up to just in front of his strange-looking ears, were dark dots that looked rough to the touch, and barely matched the color of the mop of dirty-blonde hair on the top of his head. His silver-blue eyes captivated nearly everybody who had diverted their attention to him, including Wolf, who was slowly being inflicted with a case of the butterflies. And when he spoke, those who hadn't heard what Wolf said about him speaking Cornerian Common fluently were further taken aback.</p><p>"I'm James, James Beckham Hayes. And, I would like to thank you all for saving my butt and getting me out of there."</p><p>The troop bay fell silent, jaws touching the floor. Then Wolf broke the silence, letting out a short chuckle. "Well, how about that? A bloody ape that isn't fecking <em>ugly</em> as hell."</p><p>James proceeded to glare at her, but he said nothing. And neither did anybody for the remainder of the flight back to the <em>Acolyte</em>.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Escape!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Star Fox and its CDF attache jump back to Corneria with James in tow.</p><p>James has an interesting 'first contact' with Panther Caroso.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The first thing James and his rescuers were told to do was 'take them to the showers and scrub them down'. Word about the 'zombies' and the pathogen must have reached the higher-ups, which James thought was a very fortunate thing. Otherwise, this system, wherever it was in this vast, endless universe, was totally and completely screwed. Probably a hundred times over, if the pathogen ever spread to these…<em>animal-aliens</em> from the human hosts. He shuddered to think what monstrosities they would become if it were to happen. He hoped that it wouldn't.</p><p>But for now, he had to worry about being scrubbed down a thousand times over – and under – before being confined to what could only be the brig, much to his dismay. And Panther's. But whoever was in command of the ship wouldn't have any of it and ignored the feline's pleas. However, James didn't think it was all too bad. At least he didn't have to deal with her constantly pressing her <em>massive</em> breasts into his back and sometimes engulfing his head between them while they were on the dropship. He rolled his eyes and folded his hands over his stomach as he lied back on the cot he was provided with after being 'taken prisoner'.</p><p>"She really has it in for me, doesn't she?" he asked himself, staring at the ceiling.</p><p>That was another thing about this species he wondered about. Were the females supposed to be this…<em>forward</em> all the time with males, even if they were as alien as <em>he</em> was? And did they <em>all</em> have huge — He shook his head. He shouldn't think about <em>that</em> either; the painful tent in his pants was evidence as to why. He sighed and rolled on his side to face the door, which was some type of laser shield, and saw none other than Panther standing there. <em>Speak of the devil</em>, he thought to himself as he sat up and stared hard at her. "Can I help you?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. Her response was the door turning off with a <em>whoosh</em> and stepping inside before it turned on again. James's eyes widened and his pants became even more tight.</p><p>Her vest was zipped open all the way down to the end but remained closed for the most part. However, this allowed her two, huge, black-furred breasts to almost spill out from the top completely. It also told James that she does not wear a bra at all – or she took it off before coming here. She stood in the doorway, her green eyes staring at him hungrily, <em>thirstily</em>. James gulped and tugged at his collar, beads of sweat collecting along his brows. Then she walked towards him, and with each step she took, her breasts jiggled erratically and threatened to completely fall out and bare themselves to the flustered human. He scooted himself back into the wall, trapping himself as the horny female approached him, sauntered over to him, before sliding herself almost flawlessly on to his lap and placing her juicy, plump rump directly on his erection.</p><p>"I'm sure you can," she purred seductively, stroking his chin. "I've never been with a male before, and certainly not with an <em>alien</em> male as attractive as you are." She brought her clawed hands to the bottom of her vest and tugged. The article came free, and she shrugged her shoulders. It slid down her back and onto the floor, and James was face to face with the largest, and possibly softest, pair of boobs he'd ever seen. "I'm aching for some relief, <em>here</em>," she brought a clawed finger to one of her breasts and placed it just above a barely visible dark nub that was unmistakably her nipple. "Suck on me, <em>James</em>," she demanded softly, her voice dripping with honey and lust.</p><p>But before he could even consider doing anything of the sort, the door shut off and Panther's head swiveled to look over her shoulder. Her ears folded down to the sides, and the lustful, <em>hungry</em> attitude was gone immediately. "Oh, h-hey Wolf," she said sheepishly.</p><p>The next thing he knew, James felt the weight in his lap dissipate and Panther was on the floor facedown with her arms pinned behind her back by Wolf, whose muzzle was curled up in an angry snarl. "Jus' what the bloody feckin' hell do you think you're doin', Panther!?" she growled menacingly, sending a chill up both Panther and James's spines. "Hell, it's been barely an hour and already you're tryin' to get into ta lad's pants?!"</p><p>"Oh come on O'Donnell!" protested the feline, wriggling and worming fruitlessly in the lupine's grasp. "Don't tell me you don't want him too! "Can't you-"</p><p>"Can't you just feckin' shut up, Caroso!? He's a <em>guest</em>, not a bloody personal boy toy. Got it?"</p><p>Panther grumbled under her breath, but nodded and said, "Yes."</p><p>Wolf, satisfied with the feline's reply, released her and rose to her feet. "Good. Now get up, get you feckin' tits back in order, head up to the bridge. And you're not allowed anywhere near him again. Unless I say so."</p><p>Panther did as she was told, albeit slowly and with a small pout. When she finally left and was out of sight, Wolf turned to James with an apologetic look. "Sorry 'bout her, lad. Ever since I convinced her to turn a new leaf, she's been taking any opportunity she sees to seduce some poor lad such as yourself and hump his brains out." She shrugged. "Can't blame her, really. Poor lass's been through several heat cycles without getting her cherry popped and some lad to call her own. A bit sad, really."</p><p>"What about you?" James asked, still a little shaken from his 'encounter' with Panther. "Do you have a boyfriend or something?"</p><p>Wolf snorted and rolled her one good eye. "Pfft. Yeah, right. As if any lad would go out with a bad bitch such as meself. Unless," she then gave him a mischievous look and approached him, her hips swaying slowly with each step, and then pinned him to the bed as she loomed over him and giving him a good view of the valley between her barely-contained bust. "You feel like yer up to it, datin' someone like me." Her voice dropped to a soft, sultry whisper. "What do ya say?" She licked his nose, the tip of her broad canine tongue brushing across him lightly as she hummed. "Want ta be my boy toy?"</p><p>She cackled when he turned into a tomato and was unable to answer. Then she stood up straight from her bent-over position, her breasts bouncing rigorously in their cloth prison. "I'm jus' kiddin', lad. Pullin' yer leg and all. But, if ya ever do want ta be friends or somethin', let me know." She winked at him. "We can work somthin' out. Come along, now. McCloud would like to see ya."</p><hr/><p>Fox was furious. With Captain Casey, to be precise. And the way he handled the being that called itself 'James'. He didn't even attempt to meet with him, and instead had him imprisoned immediately after the showers. Fox objected to the "unjust treatment". But Casey just laughed her off and made a very offensive comment towards her. This earned him a mild concussion, as well as a broken jaw and nose.</p><p>That resulted in her and the others being promptly arrested for assaulting the captain, who was nursing his wounds as he slowly staggered to his feet. He cursed them all, including the two former-Star Wolf members, and announced that he was going to have their 'filthy mercenary butts' put on trial and then, hopefully [for Casey] executed.</p><p>But, that wasn't meant to be, as General Peppy called in for a status report. To say he was as furious as Fox was at Casey would be an understatement. He fumed, bombarding the captain with regulations and throwing the whole book at the cheetah, who was literally cowering under the hare's scolding. Peppy <em>demanded</em> for the Star Fox team to be released effective immediately. The captain, now disgraced and his pride hurt, complied without a single word. Fox then sent Wolf to the brig to fetch James.</p><p>With the <em>Einstein</em> a fair distance behind them, everyone could relax. The Star Fox team had picked up James, Wolf, and Panther along the way to the hangar for transport to the <em>Great Fox. </em>Falco, Katt, Krystal, and Slippy were stunned by his appearance, having only barely seen his face before they were all rushed off to the showers earlier. With introductions out of the way, the CDF shuttle they had boarded transported them to the <em>Great Fox</em>.</p><p>Meanwhile, somewhere in the Sector X nebulae, the <em>Einstein </em>drifted, rolling over on its axis. The reactor was super heated, well over 5000 degrees Fahrenheit, and about to go into a rather violent meltdown. Thirty seconds later, the ship disappeared in a radioactive fireball, atomizing anything and everything near it in a 430 mile radius, including a large chunk of the nebulae. The 'zombie' threat to the Lylat System was over. But for how long, nobody knew for sure.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Transit</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>As the Star Fox team returns to Corneria with their new guest, Fox has some thoughts about said guest's presence and how it has affected two of her teammates. Then is teased by Wolf.</p><p>James explores the Great Fox and has a small talk with Panther.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Fucking hell this took forever. But hey, I did it. I made it to Chapter 4. Chapter 5 is just about finished. Chapter 6 is in the works. Enjoy.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Fox McCloud watched the human, known only as 'James', closely as he silently conversed with Panther, which she slightly disapproved of but dismissed for the time being. In the very short time that he's been with them since their escape from his infested ship, James has had a huge impact on each of her teammates, more notably Katt and Panther. Fox was...puzzled, by how quickly they became 'friendly' towards him. A little too friendly, in fact. According to what Wolf told her, Panther was caught by the lupine just as she was about to give him a mouthful of her bare chest, and while she (Fox) was more than upset about this, she didn't do anything more than a short, reprimanding lecture on the pantherine's behavior.</p><p>The same thing happened with Katt Monroe.</p><p>In all honesty, Fox was very surprised when she caught the pink-furred feline pressing her entire body against James and into the wall, kissing him and grinding her hips on his feverishly. Normally, it would be Miyu who'd do such a thing. When that thought came to her, after she had defused the situation between James and Katt, she silently prayed and hoped that the lynx will never lay eyes on James. If she did, well, may James's poor soul rest in peace.</p><p>Falco just ignored him in favor of the video game console, which Fox admitted to herself that she didn't know how to feel about that.</p><p>Then there was Wolf O'Donnell, Fox's old-time rival. She expected the lupine to be aggressive and mean towards the human. Instead, Wolf acted like James's bodyguard, keeping an eye on both Katt and Panther in case they ever attempted to get him 'acquaintanced' with them. This further surprised Fox, almost to the point that it made her head hurt as she experienced a minor migraine. This whole situation was abnormal for her, too abnormal for her tastes. Why? Because, while Fox didn't mind Wolf's whole 'changed attitude' thanks to the presence of James, it unnerved her more because of how Wolf would never, never act the way she did now, regardless if there was a male present or not. Human or no.</p><p>The vixen let out a sigh and rubbed her aching, throbbing temples with the tips of both index and middle fingers feverously. The mere thought of it was enough to make her head hurt.</p><p>"What's ta matter, pup?" Ugh, speaking of Wolf...Fox turned to face Wolf, who stood behind her with one hand on her hip and the other resting at her side. The lupine stood over her by a good six inches, forcing Fox to look up at her to give her a reply.</p><p>"Nothing, Wolf. I'm just...I'm just tired, is all."</p><p>Wolf snorted and said with a slight smirk, "Ya sure, pup? Looks to me yer wishin' James there was yer boyfriend, right?"</p><p>Fox blushed and attempted to dismiss the assumption, but failed and she looked away, unfortunately confirming Wolf's words. The lupine cackled and wrapped an arm around Fox's shoulders. "Oh come now, pup. I was only jestin' wit' you. Besides," she spoke softly in Fox's ear. "I think he has eyes for you anyway. So no worries about winning his attention, eh?" Another cackle and Wolf left the bridge and a deeply flustered and heavily embarrassed Fox McCloud to her conflicting thoughts.</p><p>Once the lupine had left, and Fox had recovered from her rival's remarks, she shook her head and looked up at James and Panther, who were still conversing with one another. She sighed and walked over to them, telling herself that Wolf's words were not true, and that she just wanted to make sure Panther wasn't making advances on the human.</p><hr/><p>James was in awe at the simple, yet complex at the same time, systems the Great Fox utilized. It wasn't that far from being slightly on par with human technology, but there were some fields the Cornerians have mastered faster than Humanity did. Nonetheless, when James was led around the Great Fox by the team's engineer, Slippy Toad, he quickly caught on to how everything functioned. He even fixed a few things in less than a couple minutes when it would normally take Slippy several hours to fix or install. The short, stocky amphibian was greatly impressed and praised the human for his skills. James merely dismissed it, claiming that it was nothing.</p><p>After the brief tour around the major components of the ship, the duo then made their way to the bridge where Fox, Falco, and Panther were. James was a little reluctant, and understandably so, to be around Panther. She did try to force herself onto him, and while he was a little tempted then and there to play along because he was an absolute sucker for boobs, he barely knew her and she him. However, he figured that if he could somehow get to know the feline, without any intimacy of any kind, the two of them would make good friends.</p><p>As they entered the bridge, James noticed that Panther was looking a little downcast. He felt a pang of guilt and sorrow for the feline rouse within his stomach. In a way, he understood where she came from. And if what Wolf said earlier when she pulled Panther off of him, Cornerians were similar to Earth's land mammalian wildlife in terms of breeding habits. Heat cycles were a thing, but James didn't know if it was a seasonal thing, like the 'spring fever', or if it was random. Either way, since it was bipedal, intelligent, talking anthropomorphic animal aliens and not ferals, James thought it best to avoid any contact with a female in heat. It was clear enough that he was not safe from them if they were 'in the mood'.</p><p>Long story short, it wasn't entirely Panther's fault that she wanted to have him scratch her itch, and it certainly wasn't her fault that he was, in her words, 'attractive'. He didn't see himself as a good-looking guy. He was a bit slim, and definitely not athletic in any way, had dirty blonde hair, silver-blue eyes, and the beginnings of a bush growing on his face. He didn't find any of those to be an aspect of attraction for the opposite sex. Well, by human standards. Cornerian standards, he was completely clueless. But, if he was considered 'attractive' to the females here, then he wasn't going to complain.</p><p>With that in mind, James felt that he should at least try to talk to Panther and make an attempt to reconcile with her.</p><p>He quickly glanced around, found everyone - excluding Panther - distracted by their own thing, and made his way over to the black pantherine. He cleared his throat to make his presence known to her before asking if he could sit next to her. She nodded, albeit solemnly. James sat down on the couch cushion next to her and cracked a small friendly smile.</p><p>"Hey," he said. "How are you?"</p><p>Panther tried to smile, but all she could manage was a slight twitch of the corner of her mouth before she looked away from him shamefully. "Fine," she mumbled.</p><p>"You sure?"</p><p>She remained silent, then shook her head. "No." She looked at him with sad blue eyes. "I'm really sorry for what happened back there, James. I was...horny, and wanted to sate my desires, but that's no excuse for what I did, or tried to do, to you." She sighed and looked away again. "I doubt you'd ever forgive me for that.</p><p>James placed a comforting, reassuring hand on her shoulder, causing her to stiffen at the sudden contact. But she then relaxed and glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "You sure about that?"</p><p>A look of surprise smacked itself onto Panther's face and she turned to him fully. "Really? You...you forgive me? B-but...why?"</p><p>James smiled softly and squeezed her shoulder. "Because it's the right thing to do. Plus, I know it wasn't your fault. You were acting purely by instinct. Right?"</p><p>She canted her head to one side, and avoided his gaze, smiling sheepishly. "Weeell...sort of." She looked at him almost shyly. "I meant what I said... about you being attractive and all."</p><p>James was taken aback. But he quickly recovered and he gave her a questioning look. "Really? And why do you find me, some random alien guy you've never met before, attractive of all things? Why not the other guys?"</p><p>She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "It's complicated." She then narrowed her eyes at him only slightly. "And I'd appreciate it if you didn't push for an answer. I'm not ready to share that with you." A small smile touched her lips. "Yet."</p><p>James nodded. "Of course. I understand. Just let me know and we'll sit down and talk about it." He paused and looked off into the distance. "You know, I just realized something."</p><p>"What's that?" Panther asked with a curious tilt of her head.</p><p>He looked at her with a small grin. "This whole experience has made me a whole lot more social, and even turned me into some kind of counselor." Panther giggled, putting a hand to her muzzle.</p><p>"So, I take it you two are finally getting along?" came a voice from behind them. Both of them jumped at the sudden presence of Fox McCloud and they turned almost simultaneously to face her. The vulpine had discarded her white vest and was left wearing her olive-drab tank top, which James noted was being strained by her healthily large bust. He quickly averted his gaze from her chest to her eyes, which were slightly narrowed at Panther. "All is well? No 'incidents' have occurred while my back was turned?"</p><p>James and Panther shook their heads. Fox nodded in satisfaction with their silent answer. "Good. I just wanted to make sure. Now, we're coming up on Corneria so Panther, you better gather your stuff and be ready to disembark. We're going to take a long break," she paused to look at James, a smile spread across her muzzle. "<em>After</em> we take James to see General Peppy. He'll get you situated for your stay on Corneria."</p><p>With that, Fox spun on her heel and walked back to where she was previously standing at one of the consoles, returning to whatever it was she was doing. James let out a silent sigh of relief, as did Panther, and they exchanged looks with each other. "So," Panther began, twiddling her thumbs together. "Wanna help me pack? I promise I won't do anything!"</p><p>James chuckled at her last statement of 'reassurance' and nodded. "Sure. And don't worry." He winked at her. "I'll take your word for it."</p><p>Panther smiled and giggled again before she rose to her feet and left the bridge with James right behind her, who was nonchalantly taking in the 'view' of her rounded backside with a small nod of approval.</p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Arrangements</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>General Pepper is briefed on the incident in Sector X.<br/>James is sent to libe with Fox and Krystal. Wolf and Panther tag along at the lupine's insistence.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"'Zombies'?" Peppy Hare, commanding general of all CDF forces in the Lylat System, stared at the Star Fox team and their 'cargo.' "You fought 'zombies'?" he said skeptically with a raised eyebrow. "You know I find that <em>very </em>hard to believe, don't you, Fox?" He sighed and shook his head. "But, since there were many more witnesses who have already confirmed this phenomenon - including Lieutenant Phoenix herself - I'll take your word for it. However, not one word of this must make the news. We can't risk having a system-wide panic. Now, there is <em>one</em> question for our new friend here that I must ask."</p>
<p>As Peppy spoke, all eyes were on James, "Are you <em>certain</em> that this threat was neutralized, Mr. Hayes?"</p>
<p>The human, swallowing back his stage fright and fear, nodded. "Yes, sir, I do. The <em>Einstein's</em> fusion reactor would have atomized anything and everything within a 300-mile radius. Nothing would've been able to survive. Sir."</p>
<p>Peppy nodded. "I see. Nevertheless, it's better to be safe than sorry. I'll send in a small team just to confirm there is nothing left."</p>
<p>"I completely understand, sir."</p>
<p>Peppy smiled warmly at James. "Good. Now, let's discuss your hospitality arrangements. While I know you would like to see the rest of the city, I have to prepare the public for your rather sudden and abrupt appearance on our corner of the galaxy." He frowned slightly. "Our last two encounters with an alien species nearly ended with us being wiped from existence." He cleared his throat and continued on. "<em>As I was saying</em>, we need to discuss where and who you will be staying with during your time here." He indicated Fox with a slight nod of his head. "McCloud and Krystal volunteered to take care of you until I can 'properly' introduce you to the Lylat populace."</p>
<p>"Okay," James said with a nod. "Sounds fair enough and all, but what about the others?"</p>
<p>"Slippy will be with his family, well-deserved if I say so myself; Katt does whatever it is she does; Falco will either be playing video games all day or pulling off ridiculous stunts in Corneria's atmosphere." He directed that comment at the blue avian with a stern glare, which she ignored with a snort and not making eye contact with the aging hare. "Wolf and Panther, however, I don't really know." He was about to add with a slight grumble, "Probably waste all their earnings on booze and whatnot," but the lupine mentioned beat him to it.</p>
<p>"We could help out with the babysitting job too, you know," she interjected as she stepped forward, putting herself in the spotlight. "It doesn't matter if we get paid for it or not. I just want to make sure the pup here knows what she's doing." She flashed a grin at Fox, who sighed and shook her head, rolling her eyes as well.</p>
<p>Peppy sighed too, but for an entirely different reason. "Fine. <em>But</em>, you must keep an eye on Panther. I don't want to have another 'incident' such as the one I had to deal with several weeks ago. Understood?"</p>
<p>Wolf aimed her grinning muzzle at Peppy and absentmindedly wrapped an arm around James's shoulders. "Loud and clear, old man. Loud. And.<em> Clear.</em>"</p>
<hr/>
<p>James was a little underwhelmed when he first set his eyes on Fox's house. It looked just like any other home back on Earth...<em>before</em> the apocalypse. But that was just the exterior. His first impression was really blown away when he saw the interior.</p>
<p>Cornerian architecture and decor certainly had a touch of human ingenuity, making James feel a little bit more comfortable and at home despite his current situation. The only exceptions were the doors. While Earth still implemented the whole 'doorknob' technology, Corneria, and supposedly the many other planets, seemed to have mastered the 'Star Wars' doors. One click of a button and the door itself would open or close in the blink of an eye. One button was a lock, and the third and last one was a sort of a doorbell that would alert the occupant on either side to a visitor at their door.</p>
<p>He'd seen this on the <em>Acolyte</em> and the <em>Great Fox</em>, but he figured that was because they were ships and all ships had doors like that; human vessels certainly did, but not the homes or other residences. Unless it was a space colony such as Mars and the Moon.</p>
<p>James shook his head and directed his attention to Fox, who was quietly conversing with Krystal. He was about to walk up to her and ask which room he would be staying in when he felt a soft but hefty weight press against his back, and a pair of arms wrapped themselves around his waist. Then a black muzzle appeared in his peripherals and situated itself in the crook of his neck.</p>
<p>"Yes?" he said, trying to sound as calm as possible.</p>
<p>Panther purred loudly in his ear, and she proceeded to nuzzle his cheek affectionately. "Nothing," she replied softly. "Just wanted to stay close to my new best friend."</p>
<p>James quirked an eyebrow and gave her a sideways glance. "Is that so? Nothing else?"</p>
<p>She thought for a moment, then she pulled away and turned James to face her. Panther stood over by only a couple of inches, so she didn't appear intimidating to him in that field. What did intimidate him was the fact that he was practically face-to-face with her buxom chest. "Well," she began, her blue eyes fixed on his silver-blue with a slight hunger in them. "I was wondering if you could spend the night with me." She dropped her voice to a whisper and in the same tone as when she attempted to seduce him back on the <em>Acolyte.</em> But before she could finish her sentence, Wolf stepped in between them and pushed Panther aside.</p>
<p>"What did I feckin' tell ya, Panther?" she growled angrily. "Stay away from ta lad, and don't even think about making a move on him!"</p>
<p>Panther glared at Wolf, her fists clenched and her eyes burning with fury. But she managed to keep a calm voice. "I wasn't actually going to do anything to him, O'Donnell. I was only teasing him. It's not my fault that you're jealous."</p>
<p>Wolf scoffed in disbelief. "'Jealous? Why ta feckin' hell would I be jealous? I don't even like 'im!" She shot an apologetic look over her shoulder at James. "No offense."</p>
<p>The human just shrugged and stood off to the sidelines and watched as the two ex-Star Wolf members argued rather loudly, loud enough to grab Fox and Krystal's attention and for the two of them to intervene.</p>
<p>Fox was the one to defuse the situation. "Alright, that's enough! Both of you!" She gave each of them a sharp glare. "I'm getting sick and tired of you fighting over James. I was sick of it when we first met him, and I'm sick of it now. You will not fight in <em>my home</em>. All of you are<em> guests</em>. If this happens again, and I don't care who starts or not, I'm kicking both of you out! Am I clear?" Neither Wolf nor Panther responded. "I said, 'Am I clear?'"</p>
<p>"Yes," Panther said, her short, rounded ears folding back and her gaze falling to the floor.</p>
<p>Fox looked at Wolf expectantly. "Wolf?"</p>
<p>The lupine glared from Panther to Fox, then to Krystal, before she let out an angry huff and stormed out of the house.</p>
<p>Fox sighed and shook her head, mumbling under her breath, "What am I going to do with her?" Then she walked away into her bedroom at the end of the hallway, where she remained for the rest of the day until it was dinnertime.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, James sat in the living room with Krystal and Panther, neither of them speaking to one another, his mind trying to comprehend what had just transpired.</p>
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